The full story...

Federal Govt MP calls for end of WA shark kill

ELEANOR HALL: A federal Government MP is urging the Environment Minister, not to extend Western Australia's shark cull.

The State Government has set baited hooks off metropolitan and south west beaches.

And the Federal Environment Minister says he will allow the policy to continue until the end of April, but will consider its future once a full environmental assessment is completed.

In Perth, Caitlyn Gribbin reports.

CAITLYN GRIBBIN: The shark cull debate has polarised West Australians.

(Protesters chanting)

The campaign to stop the cull is gaining broader support.

Federal Liberal backbencher Andrew Laming says he's seen shark culling in his home state of Queensland for years and he's not convinced by it.

ANDREW LAMING: I've been deeply uncomfortable with it. I'm an ocean swimmer and I always hope that I'm going to be able to do that safely, but we need to remember that we are in their territory and not ours.

CAITLYN GRIBBIN: The West Australian Government hasn't bowed to pressure to stop the cull.

It says the strategy is needed to protect human life after seven fatal shark attacks in the state in three years.

But Dr Laming questions whether culling the animals will lead to a drop in human fatalities.

ANDREW LAMING: I think increasingly what I'm picking up over the last few years is a shift towards understanding and appreciated the right of shark to live in its own waters and that when we enter those waters we are effectively entering their terrain as a guest.

So in those respects we want to protect tourism, we want to protect swimmers, but a lot of that is going to be done with education on shore, not necessarily un-Australian culling at sea. I think now's the right time to pause and ask for more evidence. I keep in mind that my home state has been doing it for decades, but that doesn't make it right.

CAITLYN GRIBBIN: But the decision to continue the cull is not Western Australia's alone.

The Federal Environment Minister Greg Hunt says he wants a closer examination of the policy.

The Minister has commissioned a 'full environmental assessment' before he decides whether or not to grant permission for a second round of culling.

For now, the WA Government can kill sharks larger than three metres until April 30.

Environmentalists had hoped the policy would stop sooner.

JEFF HANSEN: These are protected animals off our coast that play a vital role in the health of our oceans.

CAITLYN GRIBBIN: Late yesterday, the Sea Shepherd group failed to get a Supreme Court order to that effect.

Its director Jeff Hansen says it's a disappointing outcome and the group's considering an appeal.

JEFF HANSEN: We stand representing a large contingent of people that simply see this as wrong, not just in Western Australia, not just in Australia but right around the world. There are solutions out there that make a difference, world first solutions, not 1960s solutions to a 2014 problem.

So we'll continue to do whatever we can to ensure that our beaches are safer.